Formed container with paper label



. 24, 1963 A-{SCHECHTER FORMED CONTAINER WITH PAPER LABEL Filed March 27, 1961 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJ FIG. 2

INVENTOR ALFRED SCHECHTEP A 7' TORNEYS United States Patent 3,115,245 FORMED CDNTAINER WITH PAPER LABEL Alfred Schechter, New Rochelle, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Phillips Petroleum Company, a eorperation of Delaware Filed Mar. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 93,350 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-56) This invention relates to an article of manufacture comprising, in combination, a formed container and a label. In one aspect, this invention relates to a formed container provided with a heat sealed film cover to provide a boilable container, and a decorated paper cover disposed over the film cover and attached to the rigid container at the edges thereof. In another aspect, this invention relates to an article of manufacture comprising in combination, a rigid container base, a clear film covering disposed above and rigidly fastened to said base, tear strips rigidly adhered longitudinally along said film, and a decorated paper cover rigidly adhered to said film. In yet another aspect, this invention relates to a boilable plastic container having a removable cardboard cover for printing. In another aspect, this invention relates to a formed container with an inexpensive, easily printed, and easily applied decorated paper cover.

In the food packaging field, it has become desirable to provide an all-plastic container which can be utilized as a shipping, storing, selling, cooking, and serving unit. Such containers generally comprise a rigid formed, plastic container provided with a heat sealed film cover to form an air-tight package, although in some cases the entire container can be made in the form of a flexible plastic bag. Due to the techniques of modern sales engineering, it is often desired that the package be very highly illustrated. However, considerable difiiculty has been experienced in attempts to print directly on the plastic container. One solution to this problem was the enclosure of the plastic container in a second container made of paper or similar material, the illustration then being printed on the second container. Quite obviously, this required a more expensive and more complex operation.

It has been found that this'problem can be overcome through the utilization of a boilable plastic container having a removable cardboard cover for printing. Thus, the container can comprise in combination, a rigid container base, a clear film covering dis osed above and rigidly fastened to said" base, and-a decorated paper cover attached to the rigid container base at the edges thereof. In another embodiment, the container comprises a boilable plastic bag having at least a portion of the edges thereof 'affixed to the label. It has been found that the label can be attached to the container by heat sealing the label to the edges of the container or by the use of an adhesive. This permits the housewife to strip the printed label from the package, thus leaving the all-plastic container which can be boiled.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved formed container having a surface which is easily decorated. Another object of this invention is to provide a package which is easily decorated. Another object of this invention is to provide an improved package to serve as a shipping, selling, cooking, and serving unit, which can be more readily and more economically decorated than an all-plastic container. Another object of this invention resides in the economy and ease of handling of a boilable plastic container having a removable cardboard cover for printing.

Other aspects, objects, and the several advantages of the invention will be apparent from a study of the disclosure, the drawing, and the appended claims.

According to this invention, there is provided an all- "ice plastic container having a heat sealed film cover and a decorated paper cover attachedthereto. Further, according to this invention, there is provided an all-plastic, boilable, formed container having a heat sealed film cover provided with at least one tear strip, and a decorated paper cover attached to at least a portion of the edges of the formed container.

In the accompanying drawing, FIGURE 1 is a plane view, partly in section, of a package embodying the present invention. FIGURE 2 is a cross section of the pres ent invention. FIGURE 2 is a cross section of the package of FIGURE 1 taken along line 22 thereof.

Referring now to the drawing, and FIGURE 1 in particular, there is shown a package which comprises a rigid container base-1t a clear film covering 11 disposed above and rigidly fastened to said base, and a paper cover 12 attached to base 10 along the edges thereof. Container base 10 can be formed by any suitable process known in the art, such as injection molding and vacuum molding. Container base 16 can be made out of any suitable material known in the art, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and other suitable thermoplastics and/or thermosetting resins. Container base it) can be provided with reinforcing ribs 13 along the bottom of the base, as shown in FIGURE 1, or along the sides of the base, or a combina tion of ribs along the sides and bottom of the container base to give structural strength thereto. Container base it is provided with an integral, peripheral flange 14 projecting outwardly therefrom and parallel to the edge of the top of the opening in container base 10. Film covering 11 is heat sealed to container base 10 along flange 14 to provide a water-tight package which is suitable for heating the contents of the package by immersion of the package in heated water. Film covering 11 can be any suitable material known in the art, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and other suitable thermoplastic materials and/or thermosetting resins. Film covering 11 can be the same material as the material of container base 10 or a different material. Film covering 11 can be heat sealed to container base It) by any method known in the art such as hot gas welding, impedance heating, heated rollers, and the like. Film covering 11 can be either clear or opaque, however, it is preferred that film covering 11-be clear to enable visual examination of the contents of the package. Paper cover 12 can be made with die cuts or other suitable means to allow for windows through thepaper cover for visual examination of the contents of the package. Paper cover 12 can be cut into a suitable shape or form.

Film covering 11 can be provided with one or more tear strips 15 to permit easier opening of the package. Tear strip 15, which is shown parallel to flange 14 in FIG- URE 1, can be placed in any suitable relationship with respect to film covering 11, the only requirement being that it be suitable for opening the package. In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIGURE 1, flange 14 is provided with notch 16, corresponding with tear strip 15, film covering 11 and tear strip 15 extending over the edge of notch 16 to permit easy grasping of tear strip 15. Flange 14 can also be provided with a cutout 17 to permit easy grasping of paper cover 12 for the removal of paper cover 12 from the remainder of the container. Flange 14 can be provided with slot 18 for the purpose of permitting the insertion of a lifting instrument into slot 18 to lift the package from the heated water after the contents of the package have been heated to a desired degree. Paper cover 12 can be secured to the remainder of the container by any suitable means known to the art, such as by heat sealing a portion of the edges of cover 12 to a corresponding portion of flange 14 by the utilization of a two face adhesive tape placed between paper cover 12 and flange 14 or by the application of any suitable adhesive between portions of paper cover 12 and flange 14. In a preferred embodiment, paper cover 12 is secured to flange 14 only along the sides of container but not on the ends, which permits ready removal of paper cover 12 from container 10.

Cover 12 can be made of any suitable material known in the art, such as paper and board stock. The topside of cover 12 can be printed with the label and any other desired advertising material. The reverse side of cover 12 can be printed also, and can, therefore, be used for recipes, premiums, or coupons, etc.

Thus, it is readily seen that this invention provides a container which can be utilized as a storing, shipping, selling, cooking, and serving unit, which also has the advantages of being easily and economically illustrated while at the same time providing an all-plastic container which can be utilized to heat the contents thereof by insertion in a heating fluid, such as boiling water. As previously noted, the paper cover of the container of this invention can be printed with recipes, premiums, coupons, etc., on the reverse side thereof, and can be easily stripped by the housewife from the package and retained or disposed of, as desired.

The paper cover of this container serves as a protective shield for the grasping portion of tear strip 15 which extends over notch 16.

The paper label (12) serves as protection for the film covering (11) against damage due to puncturing and cutting.

Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure, the drawing, and the appended claims to the invention, the essence of Which is the provision of a readily printable cover for an all-plastic boilable container having a heat sealable container base and a heat scalable film covering disposed above and secured to said container base to form a watertight container. The invention includes providing such a container with a tear strip, a cutout in the flange of the container base to permit grasping of the paper cover for the removal of the paper cover, a notch in the flange of the container base to permit grasping of the tear strip while protecting the-tear strip when the paper cover is attached to the container base, and/or a slot in the flange of the container base for the purpose of permitting the insertion of a lifting instrument to lift the container from a body of heated liquid.

1 claim:

ra is paper cover disposed above said film covering and secured to a portion of said flange along the sides of said container base thus shielding said one end of said tear strip, a second notch in said flange which is substantially free of any overhang of said film covering to permit ready removal of said paper cover, and a slot in said flange to permit the insertion therein of a lifting instrument for the removal of the container from a body of heated liquid.

2. A package comprising, in combination, a rigid heat scalable container base, said container base having an integral, peripheral flange projecting outwardly therefrom adjacent and paralleling the edge of its open end, a heat sealable film covering disposed above said container base and heat sealed to said flange to form a water-tight container, a tear strip operatively disposed on said film covering, a notch in said flange disposed to expose a portion of said film covering at one end of said tear strip, and a paper cover disposed above said film covering and shield- I ing said one end of said tear strip, a portion of said paper cover being secured to said flange along the sides of said container base.

3. A package in accordance with claim 2 wherein said film covering is transparent and wherein said paper cover has at least one opening therein to permit visual examination of the contents of said container.

4. A package comprising, in combination, a rigid plastic container base, said container base having an integral,

I peripheral flange projecting outwardly therefrom adjacent and paralleling the edge of its open end, a plastic film covering disposed above said container base and sealed to said flange to form a Water tight container, a tear strip operatively disposed on said film covering, a notch in said flange disposed to expose a portion of said film covering 1. A packing comprising, in combination, a rigid heat scalable container base, said container base having an integral, peripheral flange projecting outwardly therefrom adjacent and paralleling the edge of its open end, said container base provided with a plurality of support ridges along the bottom thereof, a transparent, heat sealable film covering disposed above said container base and heat sealed to said flange to form an a l-tight container, a tear strip operatively disposed on said film covering, a first notch in said flange disposed to expose a portion of said film covering at one end of said tear strip, a decorated at one end of said tear strip, and a paper cover disposed above said film covering and shielding said one end of said tear strip, a portion of said paper cover being secured to said flange along the sides of said container base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,830,571 Sullwald Nov. 3, 1931 1,936,312 Snyder Nov. 21, 1933 2,181,150 Pittenger Nov. 28, 1939 2,401,038 Barton May 28, 1946 2,577,249 Jenett Dec. 4, 1951 2,649,392 Marshall Aug. 18, 1953 2,764,829 Kingman Oct. 2, 1956 2,784,539 Silver Mar. 12, 1957 2,815,620 Prodigo Dec. 10, 1957 2,880,859 Tupper Apr. 7, 1959 2,960,218 Cheeley Nov. 15, 1960 2,990,096 Crosby June 27, 1961 3,010,262 Rumsey Nov. 28, 1961 3,018,879 Crane Ian. 30, 1962 3,033,357 Vogel May 8, 1962 3,054,679 Bradford a Sept. 18, 1962 

1. A PACKING COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A RIGID HEAT SEALABLE CONTAINER BASE, SAID CONTAINER BASE HAVING AN INTEGRAL, PERIPHERAL FLANGE PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM ADJACENT AND PARALLELING THE EDGE OF ITS OPEN END, SAID CONTAINER BASE PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF SUPPORT RIDGES ALONG THE BOTTOM THEREOF, A TRANSPARENT, HEAT SEALABLE FILM COVERING DISPOSED ABOVE SAID CONTAINER BASE AND HEAT SEALED TO SAID FLANGE TO FORM AN AIR-TIGHT CONTAINER, A TEAR STRIP OPERATIVELY DISPOSED ON SAID FILM COVERING, A FIRST NOTCH IN SAID FLANGE DISPOSED TO EXPOSE A PORTION OF SAID FILM COVERING AT ONE END OF SAID TEAR STRIP, A DECORATED PAPER COVER DISPOSED ABOVE SAID FILM COVERING AND SECURED TO A PORTION OF SAID FLANGE ALONG THE SIDES OF SAID CONTAINER BASE THUS SHIELDING SAID ONE END OF SAID TEAR STRIP, A SECOND NOTCH IN SAID FLANGE WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ANY OVERHANG OF SAID FILM COVERING TO PERMIT READY REMOVAL OF SAID PAPER COVER, AND A SLOT IN SAID FLANGE TO PERMIT THE INSERTION THEREIN OF A LIFTING INSTRUMENT FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE CONTAINER FROM A BODY OF HEATED LIQUID. 